Project Prairie Birds

A Citizen Science Project
for Wintering Grassland
Birds

Avian Surveys

Surveys need to be conducted
anytime from half an
hour after sunrise until
1400 hours on days when
there are wind speeds
less than 5 on the Beaufort
Scale (see bird data sheet
for definition), skies
are clear to overcast,
and daytime temperatures
are > 40°F
(no drizzle or rain).

To avoid flushing birds
onto the transect, crews
should walk single file
with poles up to the
transect start point.

Survey crews of three
will include two outside
individuals each using
bamboo cane poles to
beat the vegetation
to flush skulking birds
(Figure
2). The center
person, starting at
the transect start point
and between the pole
operators, will aim
for the end marker and
commence walking while
maintaining pole operators’ rhythm
and position. The center
person will monitor
the entire transect
for birds as they flush
in front of the survey
line (Figure
3). All
three individuals will
spot birds and maintain
a straight survey line
approximately 20 m wide
while walking the length
of the 100 m transect.

Strive to complete
each transect in 90-120
seconds with minimal
stops. Take a mental note
of the location of any
unidentified bird. After
transect has been completed,
try to relocate and identify
any unknown birds (above
and beyond the 90-120
second time period).

Members of the survey
crew will identify and
record the number
of birds that they flush
during each transect
run. After flushing,
the crew should monitor
birds until they land
to insure that they
are not counted more
than once.

Only birds detected
by observer crews
of three should be
recorded on the data
sheet. We encourage
additional participants
(i.e., substitutes
or alternates), but
they cannot assist
in spotting or identifying
birds during the survey
of a transect when
a crew of three is
already in place.
This insures uniformity
in data collection
(i.e., all teams have
only three sets of
eyes locating and
identifying birds).

Please note that finding “no
birds” is extremely
important. Don’t feel
that a zero is reflective
of your efforts. A zero
could reflect detrimental
habitat conditions that
need to be reported. A general
rule of thumb is “zero
data” is better than “no
data.” Don’t
leave anything blank
on a data sheet.

Don’t expect
a lot of birds; a survey
of five or more
individuals of all species
combined is a fairly high
count.

The field season
for avian surveys
will extend from
December through
February and will
be divided into
3 categories by
month: (I) December
(II) January (III)
February.

Survey crews should
conduct a total
of three surveys per
transect with one
survey per field
season category above
(I, II and III). At least
two weeks should
pass between surveys.

Blank data sheets
are available on this
web site. Please make
plenty of photocopies
for your team throughout
the field season.
There are also sample
data sheets that may
be useful. Keep photocopies
of all your completed
data sheets, but send
originals to the PPB
Coordinator at the
end of each field
day.

PPB staff will enter
all data electronically
and run statistical
analyses.

Figure 2A survey crew of
three ready to walk a transect
attempting to flush skulking
grassland birds. Both outside
poles shown above continue
outside of the figure box.
The outside poles are equal
length to the inner "poles"
seen here.

Figure 3
A successful flush: The bird
is never harmed, the observer
(middle person) detects and
identifies the species and
meaningful information is
then collected. Pole operators
are encouraged to help spot
and identify birds, but additional
people cannot assist.

NOTE: To reduce variability
in the results, please maintain
consistency in data collected.
Please do not make any changes
or adjustments to the field
methodology.

This simple device was
developed by Brandon Crawford,
a Student Conservation
Association (SCA) Conservation
Associate at Attwater
Prairie-Chicken NWR, who
assisted with the initial
surveys at that site.
This will work in pure
grassland situations that
lack trees. Slip each
pole (left and right)
about 14 inches into a
4’ piece of 3/4” PVC.
The bamboo should fit
snugly, possibly with
the aid of some tape,
but not permanently so
they can be taken apart
to make transporting easier.
Grip the PVC piece by
holding it at waist-level.
With an up and down motion,
alternating left then
right arm, it is much
easier to beat the grass
for skulking birds. This
device reduces stress
to the back, shoulders
and arms.